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Gujarat identifies 11 firms for desalinisation plant

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Soumitra Trivedi Mumbai/ Ahmedabad
Last Updated : Feb 05 2013 | 1:51 AM IST
Gujarat government has shortlisted 11 companies for setting up a sea water desalinisation plant in the Kutch region. The government will float the tender in the next 15 days. The major firms short-listed for the Rs 600 crore project, include, Reliance Industries Ltd, Adani, Doshion Ltd and French firm Swege Degromont among others.
 
This project will be first of its kind in the country as it will be the largest such project of any state government. The water from the plant will be supplied to industries located in the region.
 
The plant will have the capacity to desalinate 150 million litres per day and will also have its own lignite-based power plant. The plant will be developed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis and the estimated cost of the project is likely to be around Rs 600 crore.
 
This project will be a joint venture and will be developed on public private partnership (PPP) model. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be Set up for the project
 
Confirming the development, D B Jha, deputy manager, GIDB and in charge of the project, said, "Six months ago Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) had invited Expressions of Interest (EoIs)from private players. We received 16 EoIs in response to the invitation and of that 11 have been short-listed for bidding and we will float the tender within the next 10 to 15 days."
 
When asked which are the companies short-listed for the project, Jha said, "Reliance Industries Ltd and Adani are there in the race. There are some global firms, but it would be difficult to reveal their names at present."
 
However, sources in the department say that Swege Degromont, France and Ahmedabad-based Doshion Ltd are also in the race and have been short-listed for the financial bidding. Degromont has its operations in India too.
 
Sources in GIDB giving financial details of the project said, "The industrial units located in the Kutch district will invest Rs 20 crore, while the state government would invest its share and the balance would be raised through loans.
 
Confirming the development Ashit Doshi, managing director, Doshion Ltd, said, "Our company has been shortlisted for setting up a sea water desalination plant in Kutch region. The government had invited EoIs from the private players for setting up this plant. Government intends to set up a sea water desalinisation plant with the capacity to desalinate 150 million litres of sea water. The plant will also have its own lignite-based power plant. The approximate cost of the project is Rs 600 crore."
 
Doshion Ltd, is one of the leading companies in the country manufacturing large scale reverse osmosis systems which can be used for converting sea water into potable water. The company has tied up with Spanish firm Befessa, a GEIDA group company for the project.
 
"The bidders have to tie up with some firm which has an experience in setting up desalinisation plants of such a large scale. We have been building huge plants but they were considerably smaller in size such as as 10-20 million litres per day capacity. There is no Indian company which has experience in building such a large scale project. So most of the companies which are shortlisted for the bidding will have to tie up with some foreign companies which have the required experience," Doshi said.
 
According to sources Adani has tied up with a French company Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies for this project. GIDB sources also said that the location in Kutch region might be somewhere near Mundra as it has to be on the coastal area. The desalinised water will be potable and will be distributed to the industries located in the region.

 
 

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First Published: Aug 20 2007 | 12:00 AM IST

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